Method of cooling rails or the like after rolling



MayTZQ; 1923. 1,456, 4" c. STENBOL METHOD OF COOLlNG RA ILS OR THE LIKEAFTER ROLLING Filed Feb 11, 1922 Iva/ ggro Patented May 29, 1923.

More s-rss CARL STENEOL, OF SAULT STE. MARIE, ONTARTO, CANADA, ASSIGNORTO ALGOMA v STEEL CORPORATION, LIMITED, OF SAULT STE. MARIE,ONTARIQCANADA.

METHOD-OF COOLING. RAILS OR THE LIKE AFTER ROLLING.

Applicatioii filed February 11,1922. Serial No. 535,816;

T all 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that CARL S'rnNBoL, a subject of the King of Great Britaimof the city of Sault Ste. Marie, in the Province of Ontario and Dominionof Canada, has invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methodsof Cooling Rails or the like After Rolling,of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in,

than results from present processes or modes;

of cooling.

The present process of coolingrails is to lay them horizontally upon aplatform composed of spaced stringers, and to allow them to cool bynatural radiation of the heat, turning them from time to time to changethe points of contact between the rails and the stringers in theplatform. This process resultsin crooks and kinks caused by unevennessesin-the platform, differentiation inradiation by contact of parts of therail with the stringers in the platform amongst other causes.

Instead of laying the rail horizontally upon a platform so constr ucted,I employ a process or mode suspending the rail at one end and permittingit to hang vertically by its own weight. By this means the rail issurrounded at all sides bythe atmosphere permitting of equal radiationof heat from all parts of the surface, and the force of gravity tends tokeep the rail straight and prevents the formation of crooks or kinks.Moreover, by means of my process the effect produced by the relativelymore rapid cooling of the thinner portions of the rail than the thickerportions thereof can be more accurately and readily calculated andprovided against than under present processes. It-will be also seen thatthe rail cooled by my process and requiring straightening could bestraightened by fewer blows, and will be sub j ect to less strain than arail cooled by present processes.

The deviations from perfect practical straightness of the rail cooled bymeans of my process, if any, are fewer than results from presentprocesses, and, if any, may be removed by the present well known methodof straightening. V 7

, i further advantage of'my process i'sfto have the rail in suchposition while'cooling that artificial means of'h'eat control such asnormalizingor heat treatmentsof any kind" can readily be applied without1 distorting the rail while in the. act ;.of cooling which not possibleunder the present methods. a v i f A still further advantage of my,process is to have the rail in such position while cooling thatartificial tension, additional to that ref-f sulting from the force ofgravity, maybe applied to the rail by suitable apparatus, and thusincrease the tendency of the rail to re main straight while cooling. v j

The drawings illustrate suitable apparatus which may be employed forcarrying out the process. v

V In the drawings: J j

Figure 1 is an elevation partially diagram matic of the apparatus forcarrying'out the invention. 1 v j i Figure2 is a side elevation ofthesame. Figure 3 is a cross sectionalelevationshowinglmeans for applyingextra tension to the rai s. A indicates the usual horizontal hot bedonwhich the rail Bis supported; C'indicatesan upending beam ofany usualconstruction having fingers 'lO which extend beneath the rail and bywhich the same is I lifted, the rail being suitably retained on theupending beam as by means of a clamp 11' which is secured to the web ofthe rail and by a set screw 12 the end of the clamp being formed with across bar 13 the projecting ends of which engage brackets 14: ontheupending beam C. The beam C is designed to be raised by a hoist D anda chain or cable 15 which extends from the hoist over a pulley 16 on theend of the beam C, the lower end of the beam being pivoted to a suitablebase 17. The raised position of the upending beam C is indicated indotted lines in Figure 1 and when raised the beam as a whole is designedto be lifted by a suitable lifting jack E preferably of the hydraulictype which will raise the beam as a whole and permit the eye 18 on theend of the clamp 11 to be engaged by a grapple 19 carried on a suitableclampin device F mounted on an endless carrier This endless carrier at asuitable point may pass through a chamber H in which any desired heattreatment may be given to the rail while cooling and further, ifdesired, a tension may be given to the rail through suitable means suchas a spring 20 connected at one end to a suitable clamp 21 connected tothe rail and at the other to a fixed bracket 22.

It may be found desirable to provide for turning of the rail duringcooling in order to increase the uniformity of the heat treatment and tothls end I provide a swivel 23 of any suitable type intermediate of thelength of the clamp 11 and a suitable swivel 24 may also be includedbetween the spring 20 and the bracket 22. The upending beam C of thehoistl), the jack E, the clamping device F and the swivels 23 and 24 maybe of any well known construction and do not form part of the presentinvention.

While the method has been described especially with regard to cooling ofa rolled v rail, it will be obvious that the same Process may be carriedout with any similarly shaped article and that the same advantages wouldresult.

As many changes could be made in the above method and many widelydifferent embodiments of my invention within the scope of the claims,constructed without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, it isintended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification anddrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

\Vhat I claim as my invention is:

1. In the art of cooling rails and the like after rolling, the hereindescribed step which comprises suspending the rail or the likevertically under tension during cooling.

2. The herein described method of treating rolled rails or a likearticle which comprises first raising the rail to vertical positionwhile hot, then freely suspending and allowing the same to cool insuspended position under conditions permitting equal radiation of heat.

3. The herein described method of treating rolled rails or the likewhich comprises suspending the rolled rail while hot and pering thearticle while still hot and permittingit to cool while suspended andunder conditions permitting equal radiation of heat from the different parts of the surface thereof, 'and turning the article during suspension.

6. An apparatus for the purpose specified comprising a hot bed, anupending beam, a clamping device for engaging the rail on the upendingbeam, and a swivel connection between the clamping device and the rail.

7. An apparatus for the purpose specified comprising a clamping device,a carrier for the same a fixed support a heating chamber, springtensioni'ng means adapted to extend between the rail on the clampingdevice and the fixed support.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

CARL STENBOL.

Witnesses MARGU'ERITE IsABnLLE MoRRoW, OLIVE FnANpEs Amus'rnoNG.

